Title:Flow: How did a handful of corporations steal our water? Director: Irena Salina Release year:2008 What is the central argument or narrative of the film? The central argument of the film is water pollution. More than 2 million people died every year from water related diseases. The world is running out of fresh water. In USA, people get sick from drinking sink water. About 40% stomach diseases occur from water, because of bugs viruses and bacteria in them. Chemical are mixing with the water. In India, corps needs more water because of chemical uses. Birth defects in Mexico increase near agriculture areas. Facility declines through Europe primary in areas with heavy pesticides use. Tasmanian cancer rates shoot up 200% after heavy use of pesticides. 80 million Atrazine chemical is used in farming, comes back in the drinking water. What sustainability problems does the film draw out? Beside water pollution, the film did not mention other direct sustainability problems, but it mentioned about some matrix problems. Water pollution could be seen in Bolivia, people had to cover the river because of the blood from the slaughterhouse. Corporation plays a big part in water business. Three corporation Thames, Vivendi, and Suez are privatizing water. Because of water privatization, water war started. In South Africa, people have to pay for tap water. In India, Gangas water are flow are trap by Suez, and sell back to Delhi people with a higher price. These corporations are damming rivers, which is altering the ecosystem. The organic flow gets interrupted and methane gas get produces, causes global warming. Dams are also displacing many people from that area. The World Bank is spending billion dollars to build dams but they don’t fix small problems. the water companies are making huge profit. Nestle pumps water free and then sold it to people. Because of pumping so much water, ground water level is going down. It was unconstitutional for citizens in USA to sue the water companies. Therefore, Court favors the company and let them pump 216000 gallons of water per day in Michigan. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why? There are many compelling part in this film. I have learned a lot. In india, Water could be purified by Uv light filteration. UV filtering system. UV light kills pathogens in water, so by setting up a small aluminum bed with a UV light, a village can treat their water and be certain that it is safe, and it only costs two dollars a year for the people to get water from it. So far, this system has helped 300,000 people. This system is especially good because it is a local solution. Small treatment centers can be set up in any village, so water no longer has to be piped in from far away. I hope that this technology will spread. In India, the coca cola company distributed free fertilizer to the villagers. The fertilizer were very toxic, with full of cadmium and led. Therefore, the waters are destroying. Environmental protection Agency declared that no harm would result from exposure to Atrazine. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why? In the film, it showed in India, some village people were able to conserve water. Therefore, in that area the farmers were able to cultivate the land dissertation goes away. This is a very good way to fertile a land, but there are many places where people can’t reserve the water based on its climate. Therefore, it is not a good example. What audiences does the film best address? Why? I think this film is appropriate for the high school kids and higher. The film talks on the water, but it highly focuses on the problems with the corporations and governmental policies. Therefore, younger kids will not understand the film very well. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value? The film could mention more about World Bank and how it functions. The film mention about the UV light filtering system. UV light kills pathogens in water but it didn’t mentioned about the chemicals in water. I wished the film would have mentioned it. What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective. In India, water is being purified by Uv light filteration. USA also could start this method, instead of reserving water and mixing with a lot of chlorine. Bottle water is not safer than tap water. Therefore, people should not buy bottle water, but distilled water is better than tap water because it is pure H2O. People need to protest against the water pollution. People in India are raising their voice about privatizations. We all have to let people know about Water right. the film also mention about the effectiveness of Play pumps that are bringing water in parts of Africa. Rainwater collection system is also a good way to save water. The filmmakers of the “flow” film are launching a petition asking the United Nations to add the right to water to the Universal Declaration of the Human rights. What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out? I wanted to know more about the World Bank. It is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs. The World Bank has a stated goal of reducing poverty. The headquarter of the bank is located in the washington DC. and the Bank President has always been a US citizen nominated by the United States, the largest shareholder in the bank. In 2010, voting powers at the World Bank were revised to increase the voice of developing countries, notably China. The countries with most voting power are now the United States (15.85%), Japan (6.84%), China (4.42%), Germany (4.00%), the United Kingdom (3.75%), and France (3.75%). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank
Director: Irena Salina
Release year: 2008
What is the central argument or narrative of the film?
The central argument of the film is water pollution. More than 2 million people died every year from water related diseases. The world is running out of fresh water. In USA, people get sick from drinking sink water. About 40% stomach diseases occur from water, because of bugs viruses and bacteria in them. Chemical are mixing with the water. In India, corps needs more water because of chemical uses. Birth defects in Mexico increase near agriculture areas. Facility declines through Europe primary in areas with heavy pesticides use. Tasmanian cancer rates shoot up 200% after heavy use of pesticides. 80 million Atrazine chemical is used in farming, comes back in the drinking water.
What sustainability problems does the film draw out?
Beside water pollution, the film did not mention other direct sustainability problems, but it mentioned about some matrix problems. Water pollution could be seen in Bolivia, people had to cover the river because of the blood from the slaughterhouse. Corporation plays a big part in water business. Three corporation Thames, Vivendi, and Suez are privatizing water. Because of water privatization, water war started. In South Africa, people have to pay for tap water. In India, Gangas water are flow are trap by Suez, and sell back to Delhi people with a higher price. These corporations are damming rivers, which is altering the ecosystem. The organic flow gets interrupted and methane gas get produces, causes global warming. Dams are also displacing many people from that area. The World Bank is spending billion dollars to build dams but they don’t fix small problems. the water companies are making huge profit. Nestle pumps water free and then sold it to people. Because of pumping so much water, ground water level is going down. It was unconstitutional for citizens in USA to sue the water companies. Therefore, Court favors the company and let them pump 216000 gallons of water per day in Michigan.
What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?
There are many compelling part in this film. I have learned a lot. In india, Water could be purified by Uv light filteration. UV filtering system. UV light kills pathogens in water, so by setting up a small aluminum bed with a UV light, a village can treat their water and be certain that it is safe, and it only costs two dollars a year for the people to get water from it. So far, this system has helped 300,000 people. This system is especially good because it is a local solution. Small treatment centers can be set up in any village, so water no longer has to be piped in from far away. I hope that this technology will spread. In India, the coca cola company distributed free fertilizer to the villagers. The fertilizer were very toxic, with full of cadmium and led. Therefore, the waters are destroying. Environmental protection Agency declared that no harm would result from exposure to Atrazine.
What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?
In the film, it showed in India, some village people were able to conserve water. Therefore, in that area the farmers were able to cultivate the land dissertation goes away. This is a very good way to fertile a land, but there are many places where people can’t reserve the water based on its climate. Therefore, it is not a good example.
What audiences does the film best address? Why?
I think this film is appropriate for the high school kids and higher. The film talks on the water, but it highly focuses on the problems with the corporations and governmental policies. Therefore, younger kids will not understand the film very well.
What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?
The film could mention more about World Bank and how it functions. The film mention about the UV light filtering system. UV light kills pathogens in water but it didn’t mentioned about the chemicals in water. I wished the film would have mentioned it.
What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective.
In India, water is being purified by Uv light filteration. USA also could start this method, instead of reserving water and mixing with a lot of chlorine. Bottle water is not safer than tap water. Therefore, people should not buy bottle water, but distilled water is better than tap water because it is pure H2O. People need to protest against the water pollution. People in India are raising their voice about privatizations. We all have to let people know about Water right. the film also mention about the effectiveness of Play pumps that are bringing water in parts of Africa. Rainwater collection system is also a good way to save water. The filmmakers of the “flow” film are launching a petition asking the United Nations to add the right to water to the Universal Declaration of the Human rights.
What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out?
I wanted to know more about the World Bank. It is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs. The World Bank has a stated goal of reducing poverty. The headquarter of the bank is located in the washington DC. and the Bank President has always been a US citizen nominated by the United States, the largest shareholder in the bank. In 2010, voting powers at the World Bank were revised to increase the voice of developing countries, notably China. The countries with most voting power are now the United States (15.85%), Japan (6.84%), China (4.42%), Germany (4.00%), the United Kingdom (3.75%), and France (3.75%).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank